My p@treon followers actually read chapter "90"...
Join us on : www.patreon/hemlet.com
---
Suddenly, the landscape around him began to change. The smoking ruins, the gaping craters, the shattered stone peaks… all vanished. The cracks closed, the debris reformed, and within moments, the scene had returned to its original state. It was as if no battle had ever taken place.
But that wasn't all. Around Ryosuke, spectral shapes began to materialize. Curses that had attacked him earlier before being dematerialized.
Ryosuke crossed his arms, his expression darkening slightly.
"Geto, you really paid attention to your stock," he said with a sigh. "But given what you're planning, that was predictable."
In front of him, he could tell there were no Special Grade curses, except for a single semi-special one. The rest were Grade 1 and lower, with the majority being minor curses.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Should I have made things a little harder?"
He could have ended it all right then. Gotten rid of Geto, eliminated that obstacle once and for all, and taken everything he owned. But a part of him held back, and he knew exactly why.
"No," he murmured to himself. "It's not time yet."
The temptation to take it all at once was strong, but Ryosuke knew that kind of impatience could cost him dearly. Acting too soon ruined the game.
It was risky, of course. Facing off against such an experienced sorcerer was never fun.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You could've died there, idiot."
But deep down, he knew the thrill had almost betrayed him. His heart was still pounding, every muscle tight from walking the razor's edge.
Geto wasn't like other opponents. He was cunning, and more importantly, powerful. The slightest mistake from Ryosuke could have turned the duel into a true battlefield.
Yet this wasn't a defeat. Far from it. He had tested his limits, explored the depths of his techniques, and above all, confirmed a truth he had never dared to face.
"I really am strong," he said out loud, almost surprised by his own words.
His aunt had told him, in her half-serious tone, that his potential was immense. But today, he had concrete proof. Even while pretending, even while holding back, he had stood toe-to-toe with Geto. And that was no small feat.
The only ones who could truly give him a worthy fight now were monsters like Satoru or Sukuna.
He clenched his fists, a shadow of a smile lighting up his face.
"When I've perfected my techniques… when I have the courage to use full Overhaul…" He let the sentence trail off, eyes fixed on the horizon.
On that day, he would have no more doubts. He would be number one. Not just among sorcerers, but among all who dared defy the laws of the world.
He pulled a small, glowing pearl from the inner pocket of his torn coat. With a smirk, Ryosuke raised it before him.
"Sorry, Geto, but your toys are going to be far more useful to me than to you."
Immediately, an invisible force drew the curses toward the pearl. The creatures howled in rage and agony, struggling in vain against the irresistible pull. One by one, they were sucked into the pearl, their forms dissolving in a flash of dark light. Once it was done, Ryosuke inspected the pearl, turning it between his fingers.
"Only semi-grade 1 and above. That'll do nicely."
He hesitated for a moment, his mind buzzing with the thought of immediately beginning the extraction for his chimera. But he restrained himself, clutching the pearl tightly in his hand.
"Not yet," he whispered. "Patience. The longer I wait, the better the result."
He carefully tucked the pearl back into his pocket and turned, ready to leave. But just as he was about to go, a thought struck him.
"Damn it!" he exclaimed, smacking his forehead. "Mechamaru!"
Ryosuke strolled casually toward the curtain. Placing a hand on the ethereal fabric, it instantly dissolved, vanishing into the air like a cloud swept away by the wind.
On the other side, a Mechamaru stood motionless, frozen in a stiff posture.
Ryosuke crossed his arms and snapped his fingers, the sharp sound echoing in the silence.
"So? Anybody home?" he called out with a smirk.
At those words, the Mechamaru slowly turned its head toward him.
"Insulting," it growled in a mechanical voice. "Leaving me behind like that is as if you're saying I'm… dead weight."
Ryosuke rolled his eyes, exaggerating his sigh. "But that's exactly what you are, Mechamaru. A big, fat, dead weight."
Ryosuke's retort dropped like a stone into the tense atmosphere. Mechamaru let out a sharp noise, but before it could respond, Ryosuke stepped closer. He placed a hand on the robot's metallic shoulder and, lowering his voice slightly, added:
"Come on, stop sulking, Kokichi. Take me to your hideout. I'll make you a little less… dead weight. Well, to a certain extent."
Silence fell heavily after Ryosuke's words. Mechamaru didn't move.
Ryosuke slid his hands into his pockets, his carefree smile still lingering. Then, as if remembering something important, he turned slightly on his heels, glancing over his shoulder.
"Oh, by the way," he said lightly. "You're finally going to see sunlight."
The words made Mechamaru's metal plates vibrate faintly, but he still didn't answer. Ryosuke raised an eyebrow, amusement playing on his lips, then fully turned away, striding forward.
He stopped, glancing around them. "Well… our assistant got killed. Nice, huh? But hey, we still have the car." He shot Mechamaru a questioning look. "You know how to drive, don't you?"
This time, Mechamaru made a strange sound, somewhere between a mechanical whine and a frustrated sigh. "Why… why are you doing this?" he finally asked. "Why would you do this for… me?"
Ryosuke froze. For a moment, silence reclaimed everything, broken only by the distant creak of the wind. Then, slowly, he turned toward Mechamaru, an enigmatic smile lighting up his face.
"Because I feel like it, simple as that," he replied almost carelessly. "Do I need a reason to help a friend?"